"I had no idea the dad next door spent so much of his life in service to others. May God bless him and his family."
In loving memory of
Peter A. Oakley
January 23, 2015
Peter A. (Tony) Oakley, 81, of Quincy, died Friday evening, January 23, 2015, in the Illinois Veterans Home from complications associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Oakley was born on December 8, 1933, in Quincy, the son of Thomas C. and Mary S. (Sullivan) Oakley. He attended Madison School and graduated from Quincy High School in 1952. He earned a bachelor of arts degree, majoring in English, from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, in 1956 and pursued graduate studies in English at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
On December 24, 1964, Oakley married Signe Jacobson, of Payson, in the Quincy College Chapel. She survives. He was a life-long member of the Church of St. Peter.
Oakley spent approximately 50 years working as a fourth-generation newspaperman for The Quincy Herald-Whig. He joined as a full-time employee in 1959 and was the long-time Circulation Manager. He finished his career as the Community Relations Director of the newspaper, Secretary of the Board of Directors for Quincy Newspapers, Inc., its subsidiaries and the Oakley-Lindsay Foundation, and Chairman of the Foundation's Donations Committee. He also was a long-time member of the Board of Directors of QNI and the Quincy Broadcasting Company. For several summers during high school and college, he worked for WGEM radio and television. From July 1957 through July 1959 he served in the U.S. Army assigned to the Military Police at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia.
He was an active member of the International Circulation Managers Association, Central States Circulation Managers Association, and the Association of Illinois Circulation Managers. He served first as President and then as Chairman of the CSCMA, then the second largest regional association of circulation managers in the country. In 1992, the CSCMA honored Oakley with its highest award, the President's Trophy, in recognition of his contributions toward the betterment of the profession. He was also a member of the Newspaper Association of America.
Oakley was actively engaged in charitable and civic activities in the Quincy area, especially those involving social services and the arts. Oakley co-founded and served as the long-time Coordinator of the Herald-Whig's Good News of Christmas campaign. He and his wife were also among the co-founders of the Adams County Arc (originally the Parents and Friends of the Mentally Retarded and later the Adam County Association for Retarded Citizens). He was the organization's first president. They also served as Honorary Chairpersons of the D.A. Weibring Pro-Am in 1992 and were volunteers for the event, which benefited the local Arc for 25 years.
Oakley was the past President or Chairman and long-time Board member of the Quincy Community Theatre, Progressive Playhouse, the Quincy Society of Fine Arts, Washington Theater Commission, John Wood Community College Foundation, the Kiwanis Club of Quincy (noon), and the Community Counseling Center (today Transitions of Western Illinois).
He also served as a long-time Board member and often officer of the Quincy Art Center (where he assisted with the Mary S. Oakley Artist Showcase), Friends of the Dr. Richard Eells House, Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County, United Way Unmet Needs Committee, Quincy Notre Dame Foundation, Transitions of Western Illinois, Westminster Sigma Chi Fraternity Association, Junior Achievement, Quincy Museum, St. Mary Hospital Foundation, and Quincy Arts Corridor committee. He was a member of the project steering committee for the "Historic Quincy Architecture" book.
He served as a division chairman and volunteer for several United Way campaigns and was appointed in 1980 by the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission to the first Human Rights Authority for an 18-county region in west-central Illinois. Until his health prevented his participation, he volunteered as a Child-Family Mentor in the Quincy Public Schools, reading with and befriending middle school and junior high students. He rang bells faithfully for the Salvation Army Christmas campaign for many years.
In recognition of their commitment to charitable and civic matters, Oakley and his wife received the Enid Ireland Award from the Quincy Community Theatre in 1990, the Humanitarian Award from Transitions of Western Illinois in 1999, the Joe Bonansinga Community Service Award from United Way of Adams County in 2003, and the Sister Theresa Marie Braun Service Award from Quincy Catholic Charities in 2007. He was also recognized as an Outstanding President of Kiwanis in 1975, and Westminster honored him with an Alumni Achievement Award in 2004. He was selected to be among 20 other community volunteers to form the platform committee for President Bill Clinton when he visited Quincy in 2000.
Oakley's personal and professional commitment to the arts in Quincy and the Good News of Christmas campaign contributed to the award to QNI of the 1999 Illinois Governor's Award for the Arts and to the Herald-Whig of 1991 Illinois Governor's Hometown Award.
Oakley was serious fan of theater and film, performed in over 20 theater plays in Quincy, and met his wife through the community theater when they portrayed husband and wife in a play. He took many trips to New York to see Broadway theater performances.
He loved the Christmas holiday and the act of giving and was well known for his extensive Santa and Christmas tie collections.
Also surviving are his sons, Peter A. Oakley II (Judy) of Palmyra, Missouri, and Harold B. (Hal) Oakley (Kathy) of Quincy; three grandchildren, Bennett W. Oakley, Abigail L. Oakley and Allen B. Oakley, all of Quincy; a brother Thomas A. Oakley (Anne) of Quincy and their children, Ralph M. Oakley (Lisa) and Mary O. Winters; a brother David R. Oakley (Mary) of Quincy and their children, David R. Oakley (Theresa), Michael A. Oakley (Ginny), Timothy K. Oakley (Denise), Susan O. Gauthier (Vincent), and Catherine O. Bunce (Gary); an aunt, Penny Sullivan of San Diego, California; four foreign exchange student children and their families, Mario Roccuzzo (Silvia) of Torino, Italy, Ann-Marie Kennedal (Magnus) of Stockholm, Sweden, Dirk Fiedler (Sandra) of Berlin, Germany, and Tom Braun (Susanne) of Rollingen, Luxembourg; and numerous cousins, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a nephew, Thomas C. Oakley II.
A funeral mass will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, at the Church of St. Peter followed by burial in Woodland Cemetery. Family and friends are encouraged to wear a Christmas tie to the services in celebration of Oakley's life. A visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, at the Church of St. Peter.
Memorial donations may be made to the United Way Unmet Needs Committee, the T.C. and Mary S. Oakley Descendants Fund with the Community Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association-Quincy Branch, or any of the other worthwhile organizations to which Oakley committed his life.
The family thanks the Sunset Home staff and the Illinois Veterans Home staff for their excellent care and compassion.
www.hansenspear.com
Hansen-Spear Funeral Directors are in charge of the arrangements.
Tributes
"SIGNE E TUTTI FAMILIARI, vicini nel dolore, porgiamo sentite condoglianze"
"Signe, I am so sorry to hear of Tony's passing. I have fond memories of the theater and plays we all were involved in producing. Prayers for you and your family."
"Signe, You are in my prayers. My deepest sympathy to you and your family."
"Think of how much better our world would be today if there had been more men like Tony Oakley. If you have to ask why, then you unfortunately did not know Tony."
"Dear Signe, Peter, Hal and families, We join the many friends who feel the sadness of your loss. Tony was always friendly and caring for others. He quietly pursued many meaningful causes which will be a lasting tribute to his legacy. It was also a pleasure to be an educator with Signe. Along with Tony, you made a positive difference for others. In addition, we enjoyed Peter and Hal as students and friends, May God's Blessings and your family memories bring comfort as you carry on the legacy of a special man."
"I worked for Tony many, many years ago and was sad to hear of his passing. He was a wonderful man and a great boss. My sympathy goes out to his family. We all have lost a wonderful person. I have a handicapped brother and Tony and I had many chats on the hardships that they face. He was truly one of a kind."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with you. He was most certainly a man who led a life full of service and a wonderful legacy behind."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Quincy has lost a good man."
"I fondly remember meeting Tony at Westminster. I was not aware of the extent of his charitable and civic involvement; what a wonderful role model for his family and others who knew him. I have the pleasure of serving on the Westminster College Board of Trustees with his son, Hal, who is carrying on his father's tradition of significant charitable involvement. I'm thankful for the many ways Tony made this a better world for all of us."
"Keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers."